TMNT and Jo--A Broken Bond, part two
by BBPRIMEFAN101
Summary: It's clear to everyone's eyes that Raph and Joey are as thick as thieves, always willing to fight for each other. But when they have a fight of their own and Joey runs off, she ends up kidnapped and is experimented on by the Kraang, under Shredder's orders. The next time she reunites with the turtles, she is a completely different person.


~6 years ago~

_Yoshi felt the warm sun gleam down onto his face. The aroma of cherry blossom tickled his nostrils. He held a tight grip around one of her hands while she carried the baby in the other. He smiled at her, her long, dark hair, dark brown eyes, pink lips that curved to a beautiful smile. His heart danced every time he saw it._

_The child she held cooed and hiccuped as drool dribbled down her lip. Yoshi reached over to her and wiped it away with his finger. "She's beautiful," he told her._

_She nodded. "What should we name her? I want it to be special for our little girl."_

_Yoshi thought for a moment, then exclaimed. "I know! Let's name her...Miwa..." The baby squealed happily at the name._

_She giggled. "I think she likes that name." She faced him and pressed her soft lips against his. "And I like it, too." She held their baby close in one hand and draped her other around Yoshi's neck, and they stood in the middle of their garden in the Spring sun, showing their passionate love with an everlasting kiss._

_What sounded like a bomb suddenly went off. The whole garden changed from beautiful to burned and ash. Yoshi was alone, and he felt like he was being crushed. He tried to move, but realized their table was rolled on top of his legs. He cried out to her, but he got no reply. Tears stung his eyes as smoke and flame clouded up around him. He wailed her name, and their baby's, and heard no response._

_He did hear distant crying. The smoke in front of him cleared, and he was a tall, dark figure half-burned walk away from the burning house. Yoshi screamed and reached out to him, his cries echoing...echoing...echoing..._

Splinter sat up with a yell as lightning cracked above him. The thunder that followed racked his body with chills. He quickly glanced around him and saw familiar walls, a familiar floor, and a door. He checked himself and saw he was a humanoid rat, with a long snout, sharp, buck teeth, whiskers, fur, large ears, and a pink, naked tail. He sighed of relief; it was all a nightmare. A cruel, horrific nightmare. Thunder roared above him and he sighed; the storm was getting worse.

He noticed it was unusually darker in the lair than it normally was; the storm must've caused a power outage. His mind quickly filled with thoughts of his children. Though they have grown much, they were still pretty young. Slowly rising to his feet, he used his rat and ninja senses to find his way out of the room and towards his children's. All of their doors were opened, and Splinter was certain he had closed them. He glanced into the first room on the left side of the hall with comics scattered all over the floor. The bed was empty, but the sheet was missing. He checked the room on the opposite side, and the sheet-less bed in there was empty as well. He checked the third and fourth room on the side he first searched, and both were empty. As panic began to overwhelm him, he raced to the last room. The panic died down and he sighed of relief.

Huddled up together with their blankets draped over each other, were his four, 10-year-old mutated turtle sons and one, 5-year-old human daughter, clinging to one another. His oldest, Leonardo, was in the middle of the clump of children, his arms around the shoulders of the second and third oldest, Raphael and Donatello. His youngest son, Michelangelo, hugged Don around his stomach and shivered. His youngest child, Josephine, clung to Raphael as though her little life depended on it. More thunder boomed, and the five children whimpered and stirred.

Yoshi bore a look of pity, for he sensed his children's fear. He slowly entered his eldest son's room and approached them. "My children," he spoke softly, and their eyes all focused on him in the dark. "Are you all right?"

Mikey batted his teary, baby-blue eyes with a sniffle and croaked, "T-The storm is very bad...T-The lights w-went out..."

Splinter sighed, remembering his youngest boy had a great fear of the dark. He got down on his knees and comforted him. "Shh, it is all right, my son. The storm cannot hurt you. You know that?" Mikey nodded. "Good." The young mutant hugged his father, and Donnie began shivering. The humanoid rodent draped his blanket around the lean turtle and the young one's body relaxed. He looked to Leo, who appeared equally troubled and afraid as his siblings. Splinter smiled and rubbed his cheeks free from tears. He noticed Raphael convulsing and whimpering, holding to Leo. He laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Raphael, everything is all right. Relax, my son, the storm cannot hurt you." The turtle with the chip in his plastron shuddered a bit more then settled, but the little girl holding fast to him moaned and trembled. Yoshi shushed her and rubbed her back, softly vocalizing the first verse of a lullaby, and Josephine calmed.

Splinter knew if he left his children alone, they would be filled with fear again. So, he rolled out a blanket behind them and laid upon it. Almost immediately, the four mutants and little human rested their heads on his stomach, either cuddling with their blankets or one another. Thunder boomed and he felt his daughter tremble again. Before he could reach to her, he saw Raphael grab and squeeze her hand. They exchanged glances and he gave her a comforting smile. Joey smiled back and rolled closer to him, nuzzling him like she did as a toddler. The rat wore a grin of his own and closed his eyes.

* * *

His children must've slept through the rest of the storm, because the only time he had awoken was late the next morning and not extremely early. He sat up groggily and covered his mouth as he yawned. He heard the kids talking, and shouting, in the kitchen. There were also clattering and clanging sounds. He got up to his feet and headed for the kitchen where he received a shock. The kids and floor were covered in flour, egg shells, whites and yolk were on the walls, the stove was smoking, salt and pepper shakers were spilled everywhere, and milk glasses were knocked over on the counter and dripping. Leo was trying to pull Raph off of Mikey, whom he was threatening with the rolling pin, Joey was licking syrup off her fingers, and Donnie was scrubbing the excess flour off of his shell. "What is going on in here?!" Splinter shouted.

All the commotion in the kitchen stopped immediately and all eyes fell upon the angered humanoid rodent. The children briefly exchanged glances then stood up shoulder-to-shoulder. Yoshi demanded an explanation. Leonardo stepped forward. "W-Well...you see, Master Splinter, we, uh...We wanted to thank you for staying with us during the storm last night-"

"And we wanted to make you breakfast to show our thanks," Raph added.

"I suggested we make pancakes with eggs and a glass of milk," Donnie said.

"I wanted to make it," Mikey raised his hand a little.

"Then Mikey bump into Raph and Raph get mad," Josephine explained, "and things all go flying everywhere. The flour go here and there, the milk go over there, the eggs go into the wall, the syrup go all over me, the flour go on all of us. Now the kitchen look like war went through it."

Splinter just stood there, the veins in his face standing out. The children gulped, expecting a really loud, painful lecture. Splinter sighed and began laughing. "It does look like a war came through here. And you five look like you were caught in the line of fire." The mutant turtles and little human laughed nervously. "Come, let us clean you all up, and we'll clean the kitchen next."

"What about breakfast?" Raph asked.

"It will probably be lunchtime by the time we finish, Raphael," Yoshi said as he led his children to the bathroom and ran the water. He helped Joey get undressed, feeling rather uncomfortable being naked in front of her brothers; they really didn't care, but she did. Splinter knelt at the edge of the tub placed Mikey and Leo into the water, then Raph and Donnie. He tried to get Joey into the water, but she stared at it like it was filled with snakes and backed away.

"Josephine, I know you fear the water," Splinter told her gently, "but I will not let anything happen to you. Okay?" Joey hesitantly nodded and stepped into the tub. She always felt nervous about the water since she nearly drowned a couple years ago, but Jo felt safe with her father near by. Yoshi soaked a rag, squeezed body wash onto it, scrubbed the rag in his hands to make it sudsy, then began to clean his children. He started with Josephine so she wouldn't have to sit in the water for much longer. All he had to do was rinse out her thin hair and scrub her body free of the syrup. When he finished he lifted her out of the tub, wrapped her in a towel, then moved on to Donatello. Splinter only had to wash away the flour that stained his third oldest son's skin and shell then move on. He took him out of the bath and put a towel over him then went on to Leonardo. He re-soaked the rag, smothered it with more soap then cleaned his eldest son free from dried egg and flour. He put Leo in a towel with his younger brother and sister out of the tub and went on to Raphael and Michelangelo.

Yoshi tried to squeeze out more soap onto the rag, but the bottle was empty. "Raphael, Michelangelo, you two stay here while I fetch another bottle from the closet. Leonardo, Donatello, and Josephine, dry yourselves off; and boys, help your sister get dressed." They nodded and ran out of the bathroom while Splinter headed towards the closet at the other end of the lair.

Raph and Mikey sat in the crummy water of breakfast ingredients and grimaced. "It's like someone threw up in here," Mikey whined.

"Yeah," Raph nodded in agreement. "Why don't we just drain it out and refill it with fresh water?"

"Because Dad doesn't trust us yet to do things by ourselves," Mikey told him.

Raphael scoffed. "Come on, Mikey, we're ten years old. Joey is the one he can't trust to do some things yet on her own, but we can handle almost anything ourselves."

"Yeah. Almost," Mikey mumbled.

"Mikey, this water is nasty and filthy. If we just sit in here, we'll only get more dirty, and it will make it harder for Dad to clean us. Ya hearing me?" Mikey nodded. "Good. So get out and I'll drain the water." They both hopped out of the bath tub and Raph yanked out the plug from the drain, and they watched the filthy water disappear. "Okay, now I'll run the water."

"Why do you get to run the water?" Mikey pouted.

"Don't start, Mikey," Raph groaned as he put the plug back over the drain. "One: it was my idea. Two: you are the baby brother. And three: you always screw everything up." He then reached over to turn on the water.

"I do not!" Mikey exclaimed and grabbed the handle. They both argued and tugged at the knob, trying to turn it. Then the knob came off the wall.

"Whoops," they said exchanging nervous glances. The boys also didn't realize while they tugged at the knob they also turned it, and not long after the water came gushing out of the faucet, filling the tub quickly.

"Turn it off!" Raph shouted as he tried to put the knob back into the wall, but it only fell into the tub or on the floor. "Come on, come on!" He tried slipping his finger into the hole where the knob used to be to turn the water off, but his finger was too big. "Crap!"

"I told ya," Mikey sobbed. "I told ya, Raphie!"

"Aw, shut up, Mikey!" Raph hollered. He didn't want to show it, but he began panicking as the hot water began to spill over the edge of the tub and onto the floor.

Splinter then entered the bathroom to find it flooding. "What happened?!" he shouted, more shocked than angry.

"It was Raph's idea!" Mikey cried and pointed to his older brother.

"Shut up!" Raphael wailed back; then he slipped on the water, falling backwards and hitting his head against the wall, and he sat there trying not to cry. Yoshi lifted his sons off the ground and placed them outside the bathroom; then he slipped his narrow fingers into where the knob sat and twisted. The water then shut off. Splinter reached down to the bottom of the tub and pulled out the drain, and the water lowered until the tub was empty.

The humanoid rat then turned around to face his dripping wet, shivering sons. He gave them both towels and led them out of the bathroom, plopping them on the couch in the living area. Leo poked his head out of Joey's room while Donnie pulled her shirt over her head, and he noticed water flowing from the bathroom. Leo looked to his father and saw Splinter's anger slowly building up. Raph and Mikey were in for a loud lecture. But then he questioned, why would their father get mad at them flooding the bathroom and not all of them ruining the kitchen, which began to smell of dry egg and milk.

Mikey fidgeted on the couch cushion, and Raph rubbed his head while Yoshi took in one deep breath at a time. "Now," he finally said, "would either of you care to explain what happened?" When none of the boys answered, he held up one of his hands, tensing it.

The young ninjas yelped. Mikey then explained, "Well, we didn't want to sit in that nasty water of kitchen food stuff anymore, so Raph came up with the idea of draining that water and refilling it with fresher water. I told him not to because you always tell us there are some things we can't do on our own, but Raphie made good points and persuaded me to help him. He drained the tub and wanted to refill it, but I wanted to refill it, so we tugged and pulled at the knob until it came out, and then the water came gushing out. We tried to stop it, but the knob wouldn't go back into its place on the wall, and our fingers were to fat to try and turn it from in there. Then the tub filled up quickly and flooded the entire bathroom, and that's when you came in." He took a long deep breath in then let it out. "...Just so you know, it was all Raph's idea."

The red-clad ninja glared. "You chose ta help!"

"You persuaded me!" Mikey exclaimed.

"Ya don't even know what 'persuade' means."

"Yes, I do! It means to convince someone to do something."

"...Huh. Guess there's a brain in there after all."

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"_Yame!_" the rodent bellowed and banged his staff on the ground. The other Hamato kids jumped at the loud echo that followed the bang and peeked from behind a pillar. Yoshi took in a deep breath and said deeply, "Michelangelo, you are correct. There are still some things I do not want you to do on your own, even things as simple as draining the tub and refilling it. And Raphael, I understand that the water was dirty, but I was only going to be gone for a few minutes. Could you not wait that long?"

Raph tried not to sniffle and glared at the floor. "Sorry," he grumbled.

Yoshi sighed and closed his eyes. "Just what made you think of that idea, anyhow, my son?"

Raph folded his arms over his chest and replied, "I just didn't wanna sit in that crummy water anymore...a-and I thought it would make cleanin' us easier if that water wasn't there, so..." Splinter nodded as if he understood. "I-I didn't mean ta flood the bathroom, Dad, I promise!"

"I believe you, my son," Splinter said calmly. "But just learn, if you wish to do something, then remember to wait for me so I may help you. All right?" Raph nodded and he began sniffling. It was then he sensed something wrong. "Is everything all right, Raphael?"

"M-My head hurts," the mutant boy moaned.

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, you did hit it pretty hard on the wall. It was like a _THWUMP!_" Raph fumed and appeared ready to shove Mikey's head deep into his shell.

"Michelangelo," Splinter sternly said, hoping to prevent any further damage from happening. "Clearly your brother is hurt. Now, go wash up while I take Raphael to look at the bump on his head."

Mikey rocked back and forth on his heels and said with a cracked smile, "Yeah, well...wouldn't ya think I'm already washed up after nearly flooding the entire lair?" Yoshi gave him a threatening glare, and the young turtle yelped and sped off.

The mutant rat lifted Raphael off the couch and carried him to the dojo, laying him down on the rolled out mat. "Now, hold still, my son, I just want to get a look." Splinter lightly pressed his hands against Raph's head and noticed a slight dark-green circle on the turtle's scalp. It looked about the size of a golf ball. "And this happened when you slipped and hit your head on the wall?" Raph sniffled with a nod. "Oh, my son," the father said pitifully and kissed his son's bump.

"OW!" Raph cried and pulled away.

Splinter jumped a bit and looked surprised. "I sincerely apologize, my son. Wait here for a moment." He then got to his feet and headed towards the kitchen. When he left, Leo, Mikey, Donnie and Joey entered. Raph muttered angrily; he didn't want his siblings to know he had been crying over a little bump.

"You okay, Raph?" asked Leonardo.

"Yeah," Raphael grumbled. He noticed his human little sister looking at him with sad, teal-blue eyes, but he did his best to ignore them. He also tried to brush off the hug she gave him. But the truth was, he needed one.

"Man, that is a large mark," Don said, pointing to Raph's head. "You must've hit your head pretty hard." Raph grabbed his finger and threatened to break it if he touched it.

"Oh, yeah," Mikey said with a little laugh. "He slipped backwards on the wet floor and went _BWAM!_ I think he could've broke the wall since he's so hard-headed all the time."

"SHUT UP, MIKEY!" Raph jumped to his feet and shoved his little brother violently to the ground, flat on his shell. Leo pulled Jo out of the way so she wouldn't get knocked over as well. Mikey sat up quickly and began to tear up, and so did Raphael.

Splinter came back in with an ice pack; he noticed Mikey on the floor crying and Raph standing over him. "My sons. What happened in here?!"

"He pushed me!" Mikey sobbed, pointing a shaky finger at his hot-headed brother.

Raph pointed an equally shaking finger at Michelangelo and shouted, "He called me 'hard-headed'!"

Yoshi held up a hand to silece them and turned to his three other children. "How did this start?"

Donatello stepped forward and explained the whole situation, "Well, we came in and Leo asked if Raphael was okay and he said' yeah'. And I said that his bump was a big mark and that he had to have hit it hard against the wall, and Raph threatened me he'd break my finger if I touched it, which of course I wouldn't. Then Mikey said he hit his head like 'bwam' and that Raph could've broke the wall since he was hard-headed, and then Raph got mad and told Mikey to shut up, then pushed him down."

Splinter nodded after listening to the story closely, then turned to the only children who hadn't spoke. "And Leonardo, Josephine, what is your opinion on this?"

"Why are you asking us?" Leo asked.

"Are they gonna get in trouble?" Joey said shyly.

Splinter lightly chuckled and bent down to their height. "Whether they get in trouble or not, my daughter, all depends on your and Leonardo's opinions." Joey nervously rocked on her heels; she didn't want to get her brothers in trouble if they were going to.

Leo took a step forward and said, "I think Raphael should control his bad temper, and Mikey should watch what he's saying. Raph wouldn't have gotten mad if Mikey didn't call him hard-headed, but Raph needs to learn to not take everything so seriously."

"I don't always take everything seriously!" Raph defended.

Splinter banged his staff on the ground, and Raph fell silent. "Thank you, Leonardo. And Josephine, unless you agree with your brother, what is your opinion about this?" He could see the distress on his daughter's face and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Josephine, just say what you think of what happened, just like Leonardo." Joey shifted her eyes from her father to her older brother, back and forth between them. Raph kept lowering his eyes and raising them at her; the way his eyes looked, Jo would've thought he was angry. She sniffled and shook her head quickly to her father, then turned on her heels and ran out of the room. "Josephine. Josephine, come back in here!" Before he could get to her, she had already disappeared. He sighed, rose to his feet, and walked over to Raphael, handing him the ice pack. "Hold it on your head until I say to remove it. I will be right back. Leonardo, report anything that happens." The young ninja nodded and Splinter headed out of the dojo towards his daughter's room. He knocked on her door but heard no response. Tired of waiting, he entered her room and found her curled up in a corner. "Josephine...are you all right?"

Joey briefly glanced at him then turned away. Splinter slowly approached her. "My child...what ails you?"

Joey sniffled and hiccuped, "I-It's not fair..."

"What isn't fair, little one?" he asked. Yoshi laid a hand on her shoulder and could feel it bobbing up and down. "Oh, my child." He hugged her tightly. "What is wrong? It hurts me to see you this upset."

Joey used her sleeve to wipe under her nose and told him, "I-It's not fair...t-to make me do that."

"Do what?"

"Choose between my brothers!"

"...Oh, Josephine." Splinter gently turned his daughter to face him. "I never intended to make you choose between your brothers as if they were being punished. I just wanted to hear what you thought of what happened, is all."

Joey shifted, trying to break free from her father's hold. "I-It's still not fair."

The rodent sadly smiled and kissed her forehead. "Josephine, I just want you to know I was never going to punish them in the first place." Joey then turned to him with wide, wet eyes. "I understand Raphael is already hurt and Michelangelo went a bit far with the name-calling, and I understand that Raphael needs to control his temper." Joey wiped her eyes and hiccuped. "Now, will you stop being sad now that you've heard this?" She slowly nodded with a sniffle and hugged Splinter tightly.

"She okay?" They both turned to see Raph in the doorway with the ice pack against his head.

"Yes, Raphael, your sister is all right. Just a little misunderstanding," Yoshi told him. "How is your head?"

Raph shrugged. "It's a little better, but my hand hurts."

"Why does your hand hurt?"

"Because this ice is freaking cold." Raph chuckled. Joey then broke free from her father's grip and hugged her brother tightly, burying her face in his plastron. He switched hands holding the ice pack and wrapped his free hand around her shoulders, and he laughed when she jumped at his cold touch.

Splinter smiled and led his two children out of Joey's room and back to the dojo. Leo and Donnie knelt beside Mikey, who appeared to have been crying the entire time. Raph lowered his gaze and approached his younger brother, sitting beside him. Mikey suddenly had a pair of arms wrapped around him. "I'm sorry, Mikey," Raph mumbled. The orange-clad turtle was stunned at first but then he smiled and hugged his older brother.

Leo and Donnie went to Master Splinter with confused looks. "Did you tell him to do that, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"No, my son," Yoshi said, shaking his head. "He did that all on his own." Leo and Donnie stared at their hot-headed brother with surprise, and Josephine giggled at the expressions on their faces. "Oh, I just remembered. We have a kitchen to clean." He called his sons to join him and they headed for the kitchen.

Most of the flung food was stained deep in the wall, and it smelled like a dumpster. The flour was stuck to the walls, syrup covered the floor, egg shells hardened and stuck to the cabinet doors, the floor, even the ceiling. The bacon was still cooking and the pan it sat in had smoke sprouting from the metal, and the bacon strips were cracking and popping. They were also shriveled, black rectangles. Splinter cleared his throat and said, "Well, let us get started."

He handed his children either a sponge or a soaked rag to clean with. Leo chose to clean the cabinets and the lower wall, Raph and Joey decided to do the floor, Donnie chose to clean the counter top, and Mikey sat on Splinter's shoulders as he cleaned the ceiling. Their father used a sponge to wipe away the flour and egg yolk. After an hour of intense scrubbing and washing, the Hamato family managed to leave the kitchen almost completely spotless. Yoshi then added a little air freshener of cherry blossom to rid the kitchen of the foul dried egg and flour smell.

The rodent then heard low rumbling coming from below him. He glanced downward to see his five children hugging their stomachs. He laughed and said, "I can see all that hard work getting the kitchen cleaned has you worked up an appetite." The little ones nodded. "Well, let us prepare for lunch. But this time, I will make it." The kids blushed as their father took out a pot, filled it with water, then placed it on the stove. "How does soup sound?"

"Yay!" Mikey cheered abruptly, earning himself a flick in the head from Raphael.

Yoshi chuckled as he stirred the boiling water. "Soup it is, then. What kind would you like?" The kids went in an argument over the flavors of beef or chicken, and Mikey suggested algae and worms. But eventually, chicken won out. The humanoid rat placed the noodles into the water and used the spoon to mash and separate them. After a few minutes when the noodles softened enough, he drained most of the water then added the chicken flavoring and stirred it with the noodles. When they and the remaining water were coated with the flavoring, Splinter poured an even amount of soup into six bowls and putting a pair of chopsticks in each one. He handed one to each of his children and helped them to the table, then sat in a chair.

The Hamato kids almost began eating immediately, dipping the tips of their chopsticks into the broth of the soup and swirling them around the noodles, hoping to get a good mouthful. While Splinter ate in his own way, he chuckled as he observed his children's eating habits: he watched Mikey slurp obnoxiously, Leo ate nearly as similar as himself, Donnie took up three-to-four noodles per mouthful and twirled them around the chopsticks, and checked them for any splinters. Joey was still learning how to use the chopsticks, but she was managing just by using them to scoop out the noodles rather than picking them up. However, when he got to Raphael, Yoshi noticed he was hardly eating at all, and he looked awfully tired.

"Raphael," he said. "Are you all right?" Instantly, the other siblings stopped what they were doing and focused on the red-banded turtle.

Raph nodded slowly. "I'm just not all that hungry, Sensei," he replied in a mumbled tone. He then realized his entire family was watching him, and it made him feel uncomfortable. "B-But I'm okay. See?" he took in another mouthful of noodles to prove his point; although his mind and stomach told him not to, he swallowed. Splinter only nodded with a faint smile and continued eating, as did his three sons and daughter, but they kept their gazes on their brother.

Despite his lack of hunger, Raph finished his entire bowl clean to show his family he really was all right and didn't need to worry. Yoshi took up his children's empty bowls and rinsed them in the sink. "I think we should all get out of the lair for a while. Would any of you like to go on a walk with me?"

"ME ME ME!" the four mutant turtles and human girl raised their hands and waved them around.

Splinter chuckled as he helped them down from the table and led them out of the lair and deep into the sewers. The sewers were flooded from the storm, and Splinter did not want a relapse of what had happened only a few years ago. Mikey wanted to ride on Splinter's back, Leo stuck close to his father's side, Donnie was instructed by Yoshi to keep Joey with him close to the wall of the tunnel, and Raph straggled. Every step he took, it's like his feet were cemented to the ground. His head pounded, everything was spinning, his stomach churned, and his body felt heavy; plus the sound of rushing water wasn't doing any help for his insane migraine. He wanted to tell someone, but he didn't want them to worry. Besides, he saw his siblings were having fun on their walk; he didn't want to ruin it just because he felt bad.

However, Splinter noticed his second-oldest child far behind. "Are you feeling all right, Raphael?!" he called to him.

Raph held a thumb's up. "Yeah," he shouted back to his father, "I'm okay!" He then picked up his pace and joined up beside Leo. He then bore a smile to try and play it off, but he knew his siblings, even Mikey, were not so easily fooled when it came to one another's health. Raphael noticed Leo constantly eying him and felt uneasy, and they both stopped and fell behind. "What? Why do ya keep lookin' at me like that?" he asked in a whisper.

"I know this is all for show. You're not okay," Leo said. "You look pale and weak."

Raph fumed at that last word. "I am not weak!" he hissed. "And I am fine. Quit worrying about me all the time." He then stormed off back towards their rat master, however Leo raced past him and joined alongside him once more. Raph huffed a breath of annoyance, and from exhaustion. His body suddenly felt heavier than before, as if something was dragging him down. He could feel his stomach bubbling, but he did his best to keep it down. He had difficulty keeping his eyes open, and he felt the blood in his face sink down to his legs. Everything blackened, he tripped over his own feet, and he fell forward then stumbled to the side, and he felt like he was falling forever. Then everything went cold.

Joey hadn't heard a word from her red-banded brother in a while and turned around-to find him not there. She gasped and cried, "DADDY!" then fought Donnie's grip and raced over to the edge of the tunnel. She carefully peered over and searched all over, and right out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of red and green zoom through the water. "DADDY!" she wailed, "RAPHIE'S IN THE WATER!"

Splinter sat Michelangelo down and raced down the tunnel, searching for his missing son in the rapids. He then spotted Raph bobbing up and down briefly then was sucked back under. "Raphael!" he cried as he dove into the water after him.

"Father!" Leo hollered as they all knelt beside the edge of the rapids. A minute goes by and there's no sign of either of them. Mikey and Josephine began crying and clung to their brothers, Donatello looked away, and Leo stared in horror as large tears fell from his eyes.

They all heard gasping and coughing shortly after, and they looked up to see Splinter further down the tunnel on the opposite side, carrying something in his arms as he crawled over to the tunnel wall. "Father!" the three turtles and human girl shouted as they raced down the tunnel.

Splinter coughed and gasped, as well as what he held. He looked down to see his second-oldest child heaving in air and coughing up water, and he held his son close. "Oh, my boy," he said with a sob. "Are you all right?"

Raph shuddered before shaking his head. "N-No...I-I'm not...I...I don't feel-" he then fought his father's grip and crawled to the edge of the tunnel over the rapids as a taste of bile rose up in his throat. Then in one violent heave, he spilled his entire lunch, and the water he accidentally engulfed, into the floods, coughing and spitting anything left. He felt a tender hand patting him on his shell as tears started stinging his weary eyes. Raph sat on his knees and began to cry, burying his face into his hands. Splinter held his son close and slowly rocked side to side. "I-I...ache all over..." Raph wept. "A-And I...I-I just..."

"Hush, my son," Yoshi said gently as he lifted himself and Raphael off the ground. "You may explain what you have to say once we get you home. Now, hold on tight to me." Raph didn't even question why, he just clutched his father's fur and pressed close to his chest. Splinter got as close to the tunnel wall as he could, then ran towards the edge, leaped, and landed safely on the other side. Not long after he landed, Leo, Mikey, Donnie and Joey raced to him and clung to his legs, crying and sobbing. "There, there, my children. Your brother and I are all right. Now, I believe it is time we head home." They all nod in agreement and they trekked back to the lair.

Splinter told his children to sit on the couch in the living room, except for Donatello, as he took Raphael, who had fallen asleep along the way, into the dojo where it was quiet. He told Donnie to check Raph and see what could've caused collapse. After a brief inspection, Donnie said, "Well, I don't think it's because he's sick. He hit his head pretty hard earlier. I saw the bump on his head. I think he may have a bit of a concussion."

"Concussion?" Splinter repeated.

"Uh-huh," Donnie nodded. "Concussions usually cause dizziness, major headaches, nausea and vomiting, and many other symptoms. Right now, Raph just has the common ones. I think rest is all he really needs."

"I agree. Thank you for the assist, my son," Splinter said as he kissed Don's forehead. "You may go now." Donnie bowed and he raced out of the dojo. But the second he left, someone else entered. "Come in, Leonardo."

Leo sighed as he approached his father and ailing brother and knelt beside them. "Is he gonna be okay, Sensei?"

"Yes, my son," Yoshi replied. "Donatello believes he may have a minor concussion, and he just needs some rest. He'll be all right." Leo only nodded and pressed his lips together, and Splinter noticed tears forming in his eyes. "Oh, Leonardo," he said softly as he pulled his oldest child into his arms. The second they hugged Leo just began bawling.

"I-I thought he was gonna die...I-I thought...you were gonna die, too...!" Leo sobbed. "I-I didn't want either of you t-to go!"

Splinter smiled and rubbed Leonardo's head. "My son...I would never leave you alone. I know I have a family to provide for, and I must do what I can to keep you all safe. I would never let myself die and leave you three and your sister alone." Leo nodded with a sniffle as he hiccuped and wiped his eyes with his knuckles. Yoshi's ears then perked up as he heard someone else enter the dojo. He looked up to see his daughter standing in the doorway, holding something behind her back. "Come in, Josephine," he told her.

The little human slowly entered and knelt beside her sleeping brother and revealed what she hid behind her back: her old stuffed bear, the bear that was with Josephine in the box when Splinter found her. She carefully lifted one of his arms and placed her bear under it, then laid his arm on top of it. Yoshi smiled and patted his daughter's head. "That is awfully kind of you to share your bear with your brother, Josephine," he said.

Joey wiped her eyes and sniffled. "I just wanna make him feel better."

Splinter pulled her close and hugged her. "And he will get better, my child," he spoke softly. "He will." Donnie and Mikey both entered the lair together with a pillow and blanket; Mikey carefully lifted Raph's head and placed the pillow under it, and Donnie laid the blanket over his body. Splinter smiled warmly. "It fills my heart with joy to see you care so much for your brother. Raphael is lucky to have brothers and a sister like you."

"Well, he's also lucky to have a dad who can jump into zipping rapids and rescue him in one piece," Mikey pointed out, and everyone laughed.

Yoshi then noticed the sleepiness in his children's eyes, and he suggested they could all lay with Raphael if they wished. Of course they did. They all curled up around Raph's body and instantly fell asleep. Splinter dimmed the lights for them and left the room.

* * *

Raph woke up to something soft under his head and hands, and a room of darkness, but he was too sleepy to react. He noticed his head wasn't hurting as much, his stomach had settled, and nothing spun nor felt heavy. He did feel a bit claustrophobic and sat up to find his brothers and sister clustered around him. He was a bit confused; the last thing he remembered was falling asleep on their way home to the lair after...it happened. He realized he had a blanket tucked under him, his head was on a pillow, and he held a teddy in his arms. He stared from the bear to his sister then to his brothers. Did they do all this for him?

Raphael saw a sliver of light coming from the living area; he felt he needed to stretch his legs out anyway. He slowly stood up, draped the blanket over his shoulders, stepped over Mikey, who slept by his feet and began to head out. He remembered he still held the bear in his hands, and quickly yet quietly returned it to its owner.

Splinter was meditating in the living area, sitting on a quilt in the middle of a circle of scented candles, and his thoughts were disrupted when he heard the dojo door slide open. He opened his eyes and turned to see his second-oldest son approaching him. "Hello, my son," he said softly. "Are you feeling better?"

Raph nodded. "Yeah, a little," he said with a yawn. "What time is it?"

"It is nearly 10 p.m.," Yoshi informed him.

Raph widened his eyes in the candle light. "10 p.m.?! I've been asleep the entire time?" Splinter nodded. "W-What about my brothers and sister?"

"They slept with you, but not the entire time," Yoshi explained. "They didn't want to leave you for a second. I prepared them dinner and they ate around you. If they wanted to play, they would play any quiet game for your sake in the dojo. They wanted to sleep with you, so they knew you were all right if you ever awoke." He smiled and continued, "Your brothers and sister prepared you themselves. Michelangelo laid your head on the pillow, Donatello covered you with a blanket, Josephine shared her bear with you, and Leonardo made sure you were comfortable. It brought tears to my eyes to see them care so much for you."

It also brought tears to Raph's eyes; Raphael, the hot-head, the trouble-maker, the teaser, got all the tender loving care he could ever have from his three brothers and sister. Sure, he nearly died, but he never expected this much care from them. He prayed his father wouldn't notice his tears in the low light, but unfortunately he did. The rodent smiled and wiped them away. Splinter hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Like I told you before, you will always be loved. No matter what." Raph blinked and let his tears flow as he raised his arms and wrapped them around his father's neck.

They both turned around when they heard the dojo door sliding a bit more, and they saw Leo, Donnie, Mikey and Joey standing in the doorway. They were smiling the second they saw their brother awake, and Raph smiled back. He pulled away from his father and approached his siblings. He then wrapped his arms around them, pulling them close. They draped each others' arms in a circle and smiled.

"T-Thank you," he muffled. "...For everything..." His brothers and sister grinned and snuggled him.

"Raphael," Splinter said. "I remember you trying to tell me something in the sewers. What was it?"

"And why didn't you tell us something was wrong in the first place?" Leonardo asked.

Raph sighed and slowly pulled away from his siblings and explained, "I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want y'all to worry. I was going to say something after lunch," he turned towards his father, "you asked if we wanted to go on a walk, and they really wanted to. I thought that, if I didn't want to go because I knew I couldn't, then they wouldn't get to go. I didn't want to ruin it." He faced his siblings and continued, "And Leo, you were right. I wasn't okay. But you guys all looked like you were having fun, and I didn't want to take that away by saying I wasn't feeling all that well...That's why I was hiding it."

Splinter sighed and was ready to speak, but Leo stepped forward first and hugged his brother. "I wouldn't have cared. I would rather be at home taking care of you than go on some walk. Our lives are far more important to each other. Just...promise not to fake it next time."

Raph chuckled a bit and hugged his big brother back. "...I promise." He and Leo broke apart, and the second they did, Raph was nearly knocked over when his little sister ran to him and hugged him. "Hey, Princess," he said with a laugh and picked her up. Then his smile fell when he saw his sister's face damp with tears.

Joey clung to her brother and cried. "...I thought...you and Daddy were gonna die...I no want you to go," she whispered between sobs. "I dunno what I would do...I'm sorry."

Raph was a bit confused. "Why are you sorry?" Jo wanted to say why, but she couldn't expose the biggest secret she ever had, so she just nuzzled her brother and sniffled. Raphael sighed and hugged her. "...Also thanks for the bear," he said, and his smile returned when his sister's did. Then Mikey hugged Raph around his left side, Donnie hugged his right, and Leo hugged in front, right behind Joey.

Splinter smiled and draped his arms around all five of his children, his heart full of joy to see they care so deeply for each other. He saw them all becoming sleepy again and led them back into the dojo, and they laid back in their original spots with Raph in the middle, all of them falling into deep sleep with smiles on their faces.

Though Raphael was still a bit puzzled for why his baby sister was sorry, he didn't let it bother him now. He just wanted to sleep with the best siblings anyone could ever ask for.


End file.
